To See You Again
by BalthierFan6828
Summary: Sequel to "And I'm Doing Just Fine,"  After losing his sight from an experiment done by his father, Balthier and the gang must find a way to restore his sight, meanwhile Vaan and Balthier are planning their wedding. Balthier/Vaan,Basch/Ashe,Penelo/Larsa
1. Love is blind

**So welcome to the sequel to "And I'm Doing Just Fine" which I really enjoyed writing, and I was a little sad when it was finished because it is my longest fic ever. This story is about how Balthier gets his sight back (if he does, sorry no promises) so if you haven't read "And I'm Doing Just Fine" this may not make a whole lot of sense. I do not own FFXII or its characters in any shape form or fashion, and this fic is rated M for language and MalexMale sex. **

**WARNING: Characters will NOT be perfectly in character, cause let's face it, Balthier being totally in love with anybody is just not really in his character. I hope you enjoy it and PLEASE review!**

**To See You Again**

**Chapter 1: Love is Blind**

"A toast to the future grooms then!" cried Basch as he lifted his glass of Madhu, "May they live happily ever after!"

"To the grooms!" the others cheered.

They all sipped their Madhu, which was a special bottle that Balthier had been saving for a special occasion for years.

"So when is the wedding?" asked Ashe, "I assume we are all invited."

"Of course you all are!" cried Vaan from his perch atop Balthier's lap, "You guys are our closest friends!"

"I hope it's soon!" giggled Penelo, "I love weddings!"

"Don't worry Penelo," said Balthier, looking in the direction he thought her voice was coming from, "We won't make you wait too long; however, I would like to be able to _see_ my blushing bride on our wedding day. So it will have to wait until we've found a way to fix my eyes."

"Hey!" exclaimed Vaan, "Don't call me a blushing bride!"

Balthier chuckled, "Fine, but that's exactly what you are."

"Don't worry Balthier," said Basch, his tone somber, "We'll fix your eyes somehow. In this day and age things like this are rarely permanent."

Balthier nodded, but didn't say anything. Living the past few days in constant darkness had he missed seeing so very bad. The deep blue of Vaan's eyes being at the top of the list. He regretted that he hadn't been able to see Vaan's face when he'd asked him to marry him, it was a moment lost that he would never get back. He vowed he was not about to miss seeing his own wedding. _Wow_, he thought to himself, _me getting married, who would have ever thought? _The little party went on in good spirits, but Balthier couldn't help but feel like he was missing part of it.

They retired somewhat early, especially Vaan, who was exhausted from such an emotional few days. Balthier, however, couldn't sleep. He got up and felt his way along the walls of the Strahl until he finally found the cockpit door. Fran, he knew, was inside as she usually was at this time of night, and sure enough he felt her hand on his arm after a moment, guiding him to his pilot's chair.

"I don't need help," he grumbled, "I'm not an invalid."

Fran was kind enough not to argue.

They sat in silence for a moment before Balthier spoke, "What if I can never fly again Fran? What if this darkness is all I'll ever have?"

She laid a hand on his shoulder, "Do not fret Balthier. We will find a cure."

"I never thought I could miss seeing the sky so much."

"Shall I describe it to you?" she asked.

He nodded, "I think I'd like that."

She spent several minutes describing in detail the stars and velvet darkness of night that surrounded them. She even embellished a bit for her partner's sake, who seemed to be comforted by her description.

"I never thought I would live to see the great sky pirate Balthier settling down," she said after a while, "Have you thought this through? It goes against your nature."

Balthier sighed, "Ever since I met that boy I haven't even thought about another person. I think he's changed me. I can honestly say I want to be tied down to him."

The viera smiled, "He has made you happier than I have ever seen you. I am pleased for you both."

Balthier smiled and patted her hand, "Thank you. Now, let's get our asses back to the Eruyt Village and get my damn sight back, this is driving me crazy!"

Basch was awake when he heard Ashe gently open the door to his room. He kept his eyes closed, knowing it was her by her soft footfalls. He pretended to be asleep until she got right next to his bed, and then pulled her down on top of him suddenly, making her squeal in surprise.

"You scared me to death!" she laughed, kissing him gently.

"You'll be alright."

"You don't mind me coming in here this late do you?"

"Don't be silly Ashe. I feel like I've barely seen you since all of this stuff with Balthier has been going on," he said, a hint of sadness in his voice.

"It's been hectic for us all lately," she said, and then added with a smile, "Can you believe they are getting married? I never thought I'd see that!"

"I know. It is surprising, but somehow not so surprising at the same time. I just hope the Viera have a way to restore his sight. Balthier will not take not being able to fly anymore very well."

Ashe frowned, "Oh, I didn't even think of him not being able to fly anymore. Poor Balthier, he just hasn't caught a break in the past few months."

Basch wrapped his arms around her tightly and pulled her down beside him, "Don't think about it now. We'll cross that bridge when we get there."

She kissed him fiercely, "At least he has Vaan. Love makes everything seem a little brighter."

"It certainly does," he said, smiling up at her and trailing his hand down her cheek, "Have I told you today that I love you?"

She giggled, "No, not today."

"Then I'll say it now, I love you."

"I love you too Basch."

Penelo couldn't believe Vaan was getting married. See was beyond happy for him, Vaan had lost so much in his life, and when he had told her of his feelings for Balthier she had been afraid that the pirate would either reject him all together or use him for a short while and then break his heart. Actually, she had been shocked when she learned that Balthier was attracted to Vaan also. None of them had seen that coming, even Fran seemed a little shocked at the time. She couldn't help but plan her own wedding just a bit as she thought of different things for Vaan and Balthier's upcoming nuptials. She was so excited about finally moving forward with Larsa, and she hoped that one day they would be the ones promising to spend the rest of their lives together. Things were really starting to brighten up, except for Balthier's being blind of course. Vaan was getting married, Ashe and Basch had finally admitted to each other what everyone else had known for a long time, and she had finally told Larsa about her feelings for him…and she was still overwhelmed that he felt the same way. She rolled over and went to sleep, dreaming of white gowns and flowers.

Balthier let Fran guide him back to his room, and she left him at his door. He nearly broke his neck finding the bed, but finally he had managed to settle down next to Vaan's sleeping form. Vaan snuggled closer to him at feeling his warmth, and Balthier smiled as he gently stroked the boy's cheek. He didn't have to be able to see Vaan to know how innocent and peaceful he looked right now, having seen him sleep a thousand times before. He knew without looking at him that he loved him more than anything in the world. When it came to his love for Vaan he didn't need his eyes at all, love, after all…is blind.

_To Be Continued…_

**Yeah I know, nothing really happened in this chapter, but be patient. The plot will thicken in the next chapter, and the rest won't be so gushy and romantic, I just wanted to establish our characters feelings toward each other. So I hope you enjoyed and please review because not doing so makes me sad.**


	2. Never so simple

**Welcome to chapter 2 of "To See You Again". This chapter is rated M, for cursing and maybe some smut. **

**Warning: Characters WILL be out of character somewhat.**

**Please review, it's only polite. I hope you enjoy!**

**To See You Again**

**Chapter 2: Never so simple**

"Vaan!...Vaan!"

The boy may have been the only one aboard the Strahl who could not hear Balthier shouting his name.

"VAAN!"

Seeing that the boy was nowhere in sight, Basch finally got up and knocked gently on the bathroom door, "He's not out here. What do you need?"

For a moment he heard nothing but the water running in the shower. When Balthier finally answered he could hear the annoyance in the pirate's voice, "I can't find the fucking soap."

Basch chuckled to himself and opened the door, "I'll get it." He reached into the shower and plucked the bottle of shower gel off the shelf and handed it to the blind pirate, who was frowning angrily.

"Don't worry Balthier, you'll look back and laugh at these things before long."

Balthier just grunted in response as Basch left the room.

When he heard the bathroom door shut he was relieved. He hated having to have people constantly doing things for him, it was embarrassing to have to have Basch come in and find him the soap or to have Fran cut his meat at dinner because he couldn't find it on the plate. He was starting to adapt more, he could dress himself now, and he could, for the most part, feel his way around the Strahl without someone leading him around. He hadn't even tried to fight yet, and he already hated the idea of stumbling after the others through the Golmore Jungle to get to the Eruyt Village. He didn't want Vaan to think him weak, and he would if he and the others had to protect him like he was a child if anything happened to attack. He turned off the water and reached for his towel, relieved for once that something was exactly where he had thought it was. He got dressed, and he wondered if he looked ridiculous, or if the others would even tell him if he did. Hopefully the Viera would have a cure, and by that time tomorrow he would, as Basch had said, laugh about all of this. He felt his way alone the walls of the Strahl, counting doors carefully so that he didn't end up in the wrong room, which had happened twice already. He opened the door to what he hoped was his and Vaan's room. He was in luck. He could tell from the distance from the door to the bed, because his room was the largest aboard the Strahl, and by the silky material of the sheets that he knew none of the others had in their rooms. He didn't really know what to do with himself, not being able to fly or read or anything anymore, so he just sat there until Fran came to tell him that they had landed.

He wasn't sure why he bothered taking his weapon, there was no way he could use it, but somehow it made him feel more useful to just pretend that he could help. Immediately upon entering the jungle they were ambushed by a pack of panthers. The result was somewhat terrifying for Balthier, being able to hear the sounds of battle around him while in total darkness, and never knowing an enemy was coming for him until it was too late was less than comforting. Miraculously, none of them suffered more than a few bumps, bruises, and minor cuts. Knowing that Balthier did not want help, the others tried to resist the urge to grab his arm when he stumbled every few steps. They had all been cast with a blinding spell at one point or another, and they all knew what the pirate was going through was difficult for him.

As usual, the Viera were not happy to see them, and would only allow Fran and Balthier to enter. He could feel them staring at him, as if they had never seen a Hume before in their lives, but none of them spoke to him. They addressed Fran, and referred to him only as "the Hume." He had never enjoyed being in the Eruyt Village, it always made him uncomfortable. Whichever Viera Fran was talking to, she was giving them the run around, saying something about how it was not their place to interfere with the problems of Humes. Finally, after a lot of insisting on Fran's part, she agreed to try a certain ancient salve of some sort, but that they did not have what it took to make it there.

_Great,_ he thought, _now we're going to have to go hunting all over Ivalice for different herbs and shit._

"There are three things you must gather," the Viera explained, "the first is a flower that grows only in the underwater caves off the Phon Coast. The caves are guarded by flesh eating fish, and the flower will only bloom during the full moon."

Balthier's spirits dampened. He had hoped the Viera would just be able to cast a simple spell and that would be it, or that they would have to just run out into the jungle for an hour or so and pick a few herbs.

"The second item you must gather is the water from a pool that is deep within the Golmore Jungle. The pool is protected by deep magic, and will not appear in the same place twice. To find it, you must follow the fireflies to where they nest."

_Damn it, this is going to be impossible,_ he thought.

"The third item you must gather is the moon clay, which rests deep within the Zertinan Caverns, and makes up the nest of the giant bloods worms that live there. Gather these items and bring them here to us, and we will help your Hume companion," the Viera said.

Fran touched Balthier's arm to move him along. The did not speak until they exited the village.

"Well?" he heard Vaan ask, "Did they cure you?"

Balthier shook his head, "Apparently we have to go on quite the little journey before they can help me."

Fran quickly explained the situation to the others.

"The full moon is three days from now," said Basch, "If we hurry we can make it to the Phon Coast by then."

Balthier sighed as Vaan's hand slipped into his own and they began to make their way back through the jungle, "Things were never simple."

_To be continued…_

**Hope you enjoyed! Please Review!**


	3. The Flower

**Ok, sorry this took so long to update but me and my man just bought a house and are moving in together so I've been busy packing, plus its midterm week and my hand is broken so bear with me as far as updates go. This fic is rated M, and I do not own FFXII or its characters. Remember please that the characters will not be perfectly in character, and that this fic is for entertainment purposes only. Please Review, it's only polite, plus it makes me update faster. Also, Ipomoea really does mean moon flower in latin.**

**To See You Again**

**Chapter 3: The Flower**

By the time the Phon Coast came into view Balthier was exhausted. The others had insisted that he stay behind, they said it was because they thought he needed rest, but he knew the real reason was that they thought he would be in the way. He tried his best to pull his weight, he insisted on walking by himself even though he constantly tripped and fell, just so the others wouldn't feel like they had to lead him. It was, of course, harder than he had thought it would be. Just being able to keep up with the others when no fiends were about was hard enough, but when they were attacked…that was a different story all together. He tried to swing his Ivory Pole in the direction of the growls that he heard, but he was so afraid of hitting one of the others that he ended up just trying to dodge attacks that were directed to him specifically. Of course, he could still cast magics, so he tried to keep his comrades healed whether they needed it or not. In the end, a wolf's tooth had caught his leg and ripped the skin badly. He couldn't see it of course, but from the feel he could tell it was quite deep. Having been trying to keep the others healed, he was out of magic entirely, and would need someone else to heal the wound.

"Balthier are you ok?" Basch asked, panting.

The pirate scowled, "Naturally," he retorted, not wanting the others to think he was weak.

He assumed they could not see the blood that he knew was running down the dark brown leather of his pants, because no one said anything, and he made a point to trail behind the group so that none of them could see the trail of blood he was sure he was leaving in the sand. A few healing spells were required for the others, Penelo had apparently gotten a nasty cut on her arm, and Fran wrist had suffered a rather bad break, but still Balthier did not say anything of his own pain.

From what the Viera had said, the flower they were seeking had dark pinkish purple petals, and would be found growing out of bare rock deep under the water in the many caves that dotted the Phon Coast. As far as Balthier could remember the Viera had called the flower Ipomoea, which Fran had said meant Moon flower. She had told him the night before that the flowers were rare, and had many healing possibilities. When asked whether or not she thought they would be able to find one, she had declined to answer.

They had no idea how many caves there even were underneath the water, or if any of them would contain the flower they needed. It was still a few hours until dark, and Fran had said that the moon needed to be shining full in order for the flower to be found, so they made camp and rested for a while.

"Thinking?" Vaan asked Balthier as he sat down beside him a little ways away from the others.

Balthier smiled, "Just hoping we can find this damn thing."

"We will, don't worry."

Balthier put his arm around the boy and pulled him close, "Nothing gets you down does it?" he asked.

He heard Vaan chuckle, "I guess I'm just glad they knew of a way to help you. I was afraid they would send us away."

Balthier's smile faded, "The thought crossed my mind as well."

"I want to go with you," said Vaan out of nowhere, "I mean I figure we'll split up to search the caves…I want to go with you."

"I figure it will be I that needs to go with _you_," smirked Balthier, "Remember I can't see a damn thing."

Vaan frowned, "What's it like? Not being able to see you know?"

Balthier thought a moment, "Frightening at times. Confusing though mostly. It' s just…embarrassing I suppose, you know…having to have people show you the way around your own ship or help you to find the food on your own damn plate."

"You shouldn't be embarrassed," said Vaan, "None of this is your fault."

They were interrupted by Basch before Balthier could answer, "The moon is rising guys, we'd best get started."

They split up into three groups. Vaan went with Balthier, Ashe went with Basch, and Penelo went with Fran. Vaan wasn't sure how long he could hold his breath under water, but he knew it wouldn't be long. He'd never even really been swimming, much less gotten any experience at holding his breath under water.

Balthier removed his shoes, vest, and shirt and left them lying on the beach. He found the water to be surprisingly cold as he waded out into it, and the salt water stung his wounded leg. He knew he wasn't much good in the search, but he wasn't about to let Vaan go out there alone. At least this way he could get help if something went wrong. He took a deep breath and plunged down into the depths. Had he not had a tight grip on Vaan's hand he would have had no idea which way to go. He followed Vaan's lead for several minutes, and before long he felt hard rock in front of him. He knew that they had found one of the underwater caves that they were looking for by the way Vaan's hand tightened in his grip.

Vaan wasn't sure how much longer he could hold his breath when he finally spotted the entrance to one of the underwater caves. The water wasn't as clear as he'd thought it would be, and he'd had been beginning to think that maybe there wasn't a cave in the direction he'd been swimming. He kept his grip on Balthier's hand so that the pirate wouldn't get lost, and led him through the opening. His lungs were starting to burn, and he kicked his feet to propel himself upwards towards the surface. Fran had told them that in most of the caves there was a foot or two of air between the surface of the water and the ceiling of the cave. Vaan hoped she was right, he wasn't going to be able to hold his breath much longer. He let his hand break the surface first just in case this particular cave was completely full of water. When his hand was hit by a burst of fresh air he smiled and pulled Balthier up with him to the surface.

"We're in one of the caves?" Balthier panted after a moment.

"Yeah, you wait up here. I'll dive down and see if I can find one of the flowers," said Vaan. He didn't wait for Balthier to argue before diving back down with a splash.

"Damnit Vaan," muttered Balthier as he shook the water from his hair, but there was no point in going after the boy, he'd only slow him down anyway.

Balthier's leg wasn't bleeding as bad as it had been before, but it was still leaking tiny drops of crimson into the water. He had completely forgotten about the flesh eating fish that the Viera had warned them about back in the village. Fran had mentioned them as well, but had forgotten to mention that they were attracted by blood.

The floor of the cave was covered with different plants and flowers, but Vaan still could not see one with pinkish purple petals. The moonlight came in through gaps in the stone ceiling and shone down through the water, giving Vaan just enough light to see by. Out of the corner of his eyes he thought he saw a glint of purple, and a smile tugged at the corner of his lips. His hand had barely touched the flower when he felt a sharp pain in his leg.

Balthier didn't know how long it had been since Vaan had disappeared under the water, but it seemed like a long time. He felt a stinging sensation in his leg, and he assumed it was just the wound he'd received earlier. He reached down instinctively and his hand was immediately met by sharp teeth.

"Son of a bitch!" he yelled, yanking his hand out of the water. No sooner had he removed his hand from the water then he felt dozens of sets of sharp teeth all over his body.

"Vaan!"

There was no answer.

"Vaan!"

Ignoring the pain all over his body he dove under the water. He had no idea how he was supposed to find Vaan without being able to see, but he had to try. The more the fish ripped at his body the more he began to fear that Vaan was in danger as well. He was almost out of breath when he felt a strong grip on his wrist. Who, or whatever, had a grip on him pulled him through the water quickly, and Balthier couldn't hold his breath any longer. He tried to hold out just a little longer, but he couldn't. Salty water flooded his lungs, and he lost consciousness.

_To Be Continued…_

**Ok, so that chapter just did not want to come out, and I'm not happy with it, but right now it'll just have to do. I hope you enjoyed, and please review!**


	4. The Flower, continued

**Welcome to chapter 4, which I should have written last night but I had to babysit, and trying to write with a five year old and a two year old crawling all over you is not easy. I hope you're enjoying this story, if you are…reviewing lets me know that, plus it makes me update faster because I usually won't post another chapter until I get a review. Sorry if the characters aren't perfectly in character, but I'm not trying too hard on that, and I know my paragraphs are getting smashed together…can't help that. I don't own FFXII or its characters…which makes me sad. Enjoy!**

**To See You Again**

**Chapter 4: The Flower Continued**

"Breathe Goddamnit!" Basch yelled as he pounded on Balthier's chest a third time, "Come on, Balthier, BREATHE!"

Water spewed from the pirate's lips as his breath returned to him. He was cold, and soaking wet, and for a moment he wasn't sure where he was before it all came rushing back to him, "Vaan!" he shouted as he bolted upright, "Where is Vaan?"

"He's here," said Basch as he grabbed the pirate by the shoulders in an effort to calm him, "Don't worry he'll be fine."

"Is he hurt?"

Basch didn't answer.

"Basch I asked you a fucking question!"

He heard the captain sigh, "He'll be fine. Fran has healed him…he's just resting now."

"What happened?"

"You were attacked," he said cautiously, as if he didn't want the pirate to know the whole truth, "The fish the Viera warned us about…you two were attacked by them…Vaan more than yourself."

Balthier rubbed his sightless eyes, "This is all my fault. He shouldn't have even been down there."

"Balthier you can't do this alone," said Penelo, "Vaan will be fine. His injuries don't compare to some of the others he's had before. It's just a couple dozen bites.'"

"A couple DOZEN!" yelled the pirate as he bolted up and stumbled in the direction of the girl's voice, "Where is he?"

A soft hand grabbed his own, he was unsure if it belonged to Penelo or Ashe, and led him down the beach a few feet to where Vaan was sleeping on a blanket.

"Vaan?" Balthier asked as he reached out to stroke the boy's hair, "Vaan can you hear me?"

He felt the boy move under his touch, "I'm fine," he whispered, but Balthier could hear the pain in his voice. He moved his ringed hand down to the boy's cheek and immediately the boy winced in pain. He wasn't sure how he knew, but he was aware that the strange wetness on his fingers now was not water, but blood.

"I shouldn't have let you go down there," he said, cradling the boy's head in one hand, "I swear I'll never put you in danger again, Vaan."

"Don't be stupid Balthier," chuckled Vaan, "I don't think our current quest allows for such a luxury as not being in danger. Besides, don't think I'm gonna let you guys have all the fun."

Balthier smiled down at the boy, wished for the thousandth time that he could see the blue of his eyes, "You're sure you're ok?"

"I'm fine…here," he felt the boy press something into his hand.

He held the object for a moment, feeling it gently with both hands in order to assess what it was, after a moment, he smiled, "I'll be damned…you got the flower."

Vaan chuckled, "Of course I did. You don't think I'm gonna let you miss seeing our wedding day do you?"

Balthier laughed, "No, I suppose not."

He heard the small tinkling sound that accompanied the casting of magic, a sound he had never really been able to appreciate until he'd lost his sight. There were a lot of sounds like that, one's he'd never noticed before. Like how he could hear the smile in Vaan's voice when he was happy, the gentle sound of the wind shifting just before it began to rain, or the sharp twang of Fran's bow when she let an arrow fly from it. He hadn't realized how much he was beginning to be able to hear, he'd been so busy sulking about his lost sight that his more acute hearing had gone unnoticed, but he realized it now. He could hear Basch's breathing next to him, full of paternal concern, the swish of Ashe's skirt as she bent down to see to Vaan somewhere in front of him, and he could hear…danger.

With one quick fluid motion he grabbed Basch's sword from the older man's side and spun on his heels. The sword made contact with flesh, and he could tell by the weight that he had impaled whatever had been sneaking up behind them so silently.

"Hold shit," Basch muttered as he watched Balthier pull the sword from the wolf's body, "How did you know he was there?"

"I heard him."

Basch looked at him skeptically, "You…heard him? I didn't hear a thing."

"I think my ears are making up for my eyes."

"So it would seem," said Basch, and Balthier could hear the smile in his voice. He returned the smile with one of his own; perhaps he wasn't as useless without his sight as he'd thought.

They rested for three days, giving Vaan a chance to heal completely, and Balthier used the time to practice with his weapon. With Basch's help, he'd found that if he listened closely he could anticipate the moves of both his enemies and his comrades. Once he really started to listen he fought better than he had before losing his sight.

"That's just amazing," said Basch as he watched the pirate's pole make contact with another wolf that had ambushed him from the side during his practice, "He's better than he ever was now."

"Most Humes do not listen," said Fran gently, making Basch turn in her direction, "Balthier has no choice now. He must listen."

Basch nodded, somehow understanding what it was Fran was saying, "Do you think the items we are after will cure his eyes?"

The Viera shrugged, "I hope so, but if not Balthier will not let it slow him down. His spirit is too strong…and he is too stubborn."

They watched the pirate from a short distance away and they all knew that either way Balthier was going to be fine.

_To Be Continued…_

**Hope you enjoyed, I know that one was a little short but the next one will be longer. Please review!**


	5. The Pool

**And…we're…back… Hope you're enjoying this fic so far, it's been a little hard to write but I'm enjoying writing it a lot. Please review…it makes me update faster.**

**To See You Again**

**Chapter 5: The Pool**

Balthier felt like he could literally smell things growing in the Golmore Jungle. The air around him was thick and humid, and the smell was rich and full of life. He attempted to explain this to Vaan, who only stared at him blankly in return. Fran seemed to understand what he was trying to say, being a Viera she probably knew exactly what he was talking about. He was stumbling less than he had been the last time he'd made his way blindly through this place, having learned to navigate more by sound and smell than he had been able to before. They had no idea where they were going; the Viera had given them less detail about the pool they were to find than they had the other two items they had to find.

"Where is this thing supposed to be again?" asked Penelo as she nearly fell over another hidden tree root, "I think we've been going in circles."

"They said something about following the fireflies to where they nest," said Balthier, wiping a bit of sweat from the back of his neck, "But to be honest I don't ever remember seeing any fireflies in this jungle."

"They are easily frightened by Humes," said Fran, "And I imagine you were usually too busy to look for them before."

"Well I don't think I'll be too helpful with spotting them," the pirate drawled sarcastically.

"What do they look like?" asked Basch, squinting into the darkness.

Fran stared at him blankly for a moment, "Like fireflies."

Basch frowned, "Right."

"Do you think we should split up?" asked Ashe, "We'd cover more ground that way."

Balthier cringed inwardly as he wrapped his arm around Vaan's waist. He hadn't been able to keep Vaan safe the last time they'd split up into pairs, and he was afraid this time would end up the same way. The jungle was a lot more dangerous than the caves along the Phon Coast, and Balthier was not thrilled with the idea of Vaan having no one but a blind pirate to watch his back.

"Maybe we should all just stick together this time," he said, hoping it didn't make him sound as weak as he thought it did.

"Ashe is right," said Basch as he slipped his hand into the princess', "We'll meet back here in two hours."

Balthier sighed, "Fine. Vaan you're going with Fran. Come on Penelo."

"Hey!" Vaan cried, as he turned around to face the pirate who was already walking away from him, "I wanna go with you!"

Balthier shook his head, "No. Go with Fran," He could hear the boy start to protest, "Do what I say Vaan!" he shouted, wishing immediately that he hadn't sounded so angry. He continued walking off in the direction he'd started in without looking back (not that looking back would have done him any good). He heard Penelo scramble after him, and he wondered if she was giving Vaan that apologetic little look she usually gave him when he didn't get his way.

The walked in silence for a while, and Balthier knew that the young girl was furious with him, "Go ahead Penelo," he grumbled finally, "Say whatever it is you want so very badly to say."

"You broke his heart you know."

Balthier sighed, "I doubt it's that severe."

"What is your problem?"

"Goddamnit Penelo I don't have a problem!"

"Why didn't you want Vaan coming with you?"

"I just didn't want him to."

"This is about what happened in the cave isn't it?"

Balthier stopped in his tracks and sighed, "Let's just find this damn pool alright? I don't really want to get into this right now."

Penelo shrugged, "Vaan doesn't read between the lines Balthier. You should know that by now. All he knows is that you didn't want him with you. He's not thinking it's because you're trying to protect him."

"I can't worry about that right now Penelo."

Neither Basch nor Ashe could remember having ever seen any fireflies in the Golmore Jungle before, and it seemed like more of a quiet stroll than a mission they were on. They walked slowly, hand in hand, through the lush green jungle, which was now dark and quiet. Basch pulled Ashe closer to him and wrapped his arms around her.

"We have a job to be doing," she giggled as he began to kiss her neck.

"It can wait a few minutes."

"Just a few minutes huh?"

"You know what I meant," he whispered and she could feel him smiling against her neck.

She let him pin her against a nearby tree as he continued his trail of gentle kisses on her throat. Her head fell back against the tree and she closed her eyes. She let him kiss her for several more minutes before she opened them again. For a second she thought she was seeing things, but as she peered into the darkness over his shoulder she could have sworn she saw a tiny glint of light.

"Basch!" she whispered, "Basch!"

"Hmmm?" he mumbled, not bothering to take his lips from her skin.

She poked him furiously on the shoulder, "Basch! Look! It's…I think it's a firefly!"

He sighed and turned in the direction she was pointing, hoping for the sake of the tightness in his pants that she was mistaken, but there it was…floating aimlessly a few feet in front of him…a damn firefly.

"Alright," he sighed, "Let's go."

They followed the small glowing insect as quietly as possible, and Basch found it to be the most painfully boring experience of his life. The bug moved slowly, and often stopped to rest on a leaf for some time before moving on again. They weren't even sure it was leading them to where the fireflies nested, for all they knew, they were headed in the opposite direction. They went on like this for the better part of an hour, and Basch was about to suggest that they turn around when they stepped into a clearing. His mouth fell open as he saw the sky around him alight with the glow of what must have been a million little fireflies, all floating aimlessly around a brilliant looking pool of water.

The pool itself was not large, but the water seemed to sparkle in a way that made Basch's skin tingle nervously. What was the story behind this pool? Why would such a magical spot be unguarded?

"Stay here," he warned Ashe as he unhooked his water skin and took a step towards the pool, "I don't like how easy this looks."

She didn't argue as she watched him approach the pool and kneel beside it. She held her breath as she watched him dip the water skin into the sparkling water. For a moment it seemed like nothing was going to happen…maybe the trick was just that the pool was hard to find…she was already starting to smile at this thought when a bony hand broke the surface of the water, grabbed the surprised Basch by the throat, and pulled him under.

Ashe screamed.

Somewhere not far away in the jungle, Balthier's head snapped to the side as he heard the distant scream of the princess.

_To be continued…_

**Hope you enjoyed. Please review because I usually don't update until I get a review!**


	6. The Pool, continued

**Welcome back to "To See You Again", I am sorry it has taken so long to update but with the holidays here and everything I have had a hectic week. This fic is still rated M (just in case) and I still don't own FFXII or its characters. Characters will NOT be perfectly in character (especially Balthier and Vaan, whom I tend to make a bit lovey dovey). Please Review, it makes me update faster.**

**To See You Again**

**Chapter 6: The Pool, continued**

"Goddamnit Penelo wait for me!" yelled Balthier as he desperately tried to blindly keep up with her pace as she ran through the jungle, "I can't see remember?"

The young blonde backtracked a few steps and grabbed the pirate's hand, "Come on Balthier! Something's wrong!"

They ran as fast as their legs would allow on the slick wet jungle floor in the direction of Ashe's screams but Penelo couldn't see very well in the dark, and Balthier of course still couldn't see a thing. The screams grew louder as the two burst through the clearing where Ashe was standing over the pool, screaming as if her very life depended on it.

Vaan and Fran were only seconds behind them, "Ashe!" yelled Vaan as he grabbed the young princess by the shoulders and gave her a gentle shake, "Ashe! What is it? Where is Basch?"

Ashe stopped screaming and pointed a shaky finger at the pool, "Basch," she stammered, "He…he was pulled…pulled under by…by…"

"By?" asked Balthier, following the sound of her voice and stepping closer.

She shook her head before remembering that he couldn't see her, "I…I don't know."

Vaan was already removing his vest and preparing to dive into the water when Penelo stopped him with a shout, "Vaan no! You don't know what's in there!"

Balthier's hand shot out at Penelo's warning and grabbed the boy's shoulder firmly, "Don't even think about it Vaan. I don't want you in danger."

"I'm not a baby Balthier," argued Vaan, shrugging the older man's hand off, "I don't need you to take care of me."

"You may not be a baby Vaan," Balthier argued, "But you're _my baby!_ And I'm going to take care of you whether you need me to or not!"

Vaan didn't have an argument.

Basch had kept his head enough to suck in a deep breath as he was being pulled down into the water, but he was starting to think that this certain pool must not have a bottom. Whatever had pulled him in still had a tight grip on his wrist, and even with all his strength he could not wrestle himself away. He was, surprisingly enough, not panicking. He actually felt quite calm, and his skin, instead of feeling wet like one usually would under water, tingled strangely. He seemed to be swirling down and down into the clear depths, and there were no fish or dirt or anything in sight. Even when he looked down he could not see what had such a strong grip on his wrist. He felt like he was floating, and he grew more and more relaxed until he realized that he had stopped holding his breath at some point. He wasn't sure if water was filling his lungs or not, but he found that he didn't really care one way or another.

"I'll go in," said Balthier, "Basch is in this mess because of me."

"You can't see Balthier," argued Vaan, "There's no point of you going in."

Balthier wasn't listening, and was already unbuttoning his shirt and throwing it to the ground, "It can't be that deep. He won't be hard to find."

"You don't know what's in there," argued Penelo, "If something pulled Basch in then it's still in there."

Balthier ignored her as he kicked off his shoes, "I'll be fine. Vaan, STAY HERE," he said, and he dove in head first.

Vaan cursed under his breath, wishing for the millionth time that Balthier wasn't so damn stubborn, but he did what Balthier had told him to do, and didn't move.

Even though he couldn't see, Balthier knew that there was something different about this pool. There was a strange brightness all around him, and his skin didn't feel wet like it should have. He felt like he was gently falling, very slowly, through a soft warm nothingness that relaxed him greatly.

Basch wasn't sure how long he'd been spiraling downwards before he realized he'd forgotten where he was, and had it not been for the fact that Balthier had gently floated up next to him he may have never remembered where he was at all. He mouthed Balthier's name, and his mouth quickly filled up with water, which seemed very thick and not like water at all. At feeling Basch's arm next to his own Balthier latched onto it, and fought to make himself swim upwards, but it didn't seem like he was making any headway. The hand that gripped Basch's other wrist still pulled him downwards, and he wasn't sure whether he even wanted to try to fight against it. He let his mind relax again, and had almost given up when he got a good look at Balthier's hand on his arm. He could plainly see the white ring of skin that graced the place on the pirate's finger where the ring he'd given Vaan used to be. Seeing that little promise of love written in the pirate's skin made an image of Ashe flash in his mind, and at the thought of her he started to kick his legs in an effort to reach the surface. Balthier sensed his effort and they started to kick in unison, fighting their way to the surface. Whatever had a grip on Basch's wrist refused to let go, and the two didn't get farther than a few feet before they were dragged back down.

"Can you see them?" asked Ashe, afraid to get too close to the edge of the pool for fear of being dragged in by whatever had gotten a hold of Basch.

Vaan peered over the edge, becoming more and more nervous as the minutes ticked by, "The water's clear," he said after a minute, "but I can't see anything."

"Perhaps we should go in looking for them," said Fran.

Penelo shook her head, "So we can all be lost in there? Doesn't sound like a good plan to me."

They waited in silence for a long time, afraid to move or say anything.

"The sun is coming up," said Ashe, "How long have they been gone?"

"When the sun comes up the pool will disappear," said Fran.

As the first rays of sunlight streamed down into the pool, striking the hand of whatever had its claws on Basch, the hand suddenly let go and both Basch and Balthier were able fight their way to the surface.

Vaan jumped back when Basch's hand broke the surface of the water. The two had barely pulled themselves out of the water before the pool disappeared altogether.

They were both out of breath as they lay on the ground panting. The ground where the pool had been was now just a dry barren spot.

"We didn't get the water," said Penelo sadly.

Basch coughed loudly, "I got it…" he panted, holding up his water skin.

"Two down, one to go," chuckled Balthier, "I suppose it would be too much to ask that this next item not give us any problems."

_To be continued…_

**Hope you enjoyed, it didn't come out very good because my five year old niece was crawling all over me when I was trying to write it and I couldn't concentrate. Please review!**


	7. The Clay

**Ok, so I'm soooo sorry that this chapter took so long to post but we just moved and its been really hectic and shit, plus with midterms and Christmas and Thanksgiving all thrown in the mix I've just had no time! Anyway, thanx for hanging out and staying tuned for Chapter 7 of "To See You Again." I still don't own em', and it's still rated M. And as always, review for updates!**

**Chapter 7: The Clay**

The Zertinan Caverns were not a place Penelo enjoyed being. She had been paired up with Balthier again, who was now walking slowly beside her, feeling his way along the craggy rock walls that seemed to be closing in on them by the minute. He was not in the best of moods, and Penelo supposed she couldn't blame him. Being blind had not been easy on him, and his pride had taken a lot of wounds since he'd had to rely on the others for so much. Granted, he could fight well now, having learned to trust his ears and nose instead of his eyes, but he still had trouble with little things, finding all of his clothes and getting them on right was still an issue, and Fran had taken to doing his hair for him, although she couldn't get it just right. With his pride taking so many blows Balthier had done exactly what everyone had figured he would do, which was to be a bit of an ass, and he and Vaan had fought terribly that morning over something stupid (Fran had not said what) but Balthier had stormed out of their room, slamming the door behind him, muttering something about Vaan being a "silly little boy." Vaan, on the other hand, had insisted on being paired with Fran when it came time to search the caverns, and Penelo thought that perhaps this had only wounded the pirate's delicate ego further.

She wished desperately to see Larsa, but that trip had been delayed in order to return Balthier's sight. She had gotten a letter from him, and had tucked it away under her pillow aboard the Strahl after reading it about a thousand times. She could remember it word for word:

_My dearest Penelo,_

_ It is with great regret that I have learned of the delay of your visit to see me; however, I am grateful to the Viera for their attempt to return the pirate's sight. I think of you often, and hope that soon my dreams will not be the only place I see you. Give my best to the others, and congratulate Balthier and Vaan for me again._

_I love you desperately, _

_Larsa_

She smiled at the thought, and hoped that the others would agree on a visit to see him when this was all over. Besides, there were still a lot of wedding plans that needed to be gone over.

"Have you decided on the food?" she asked, startling Balthier out of his thoughts.

"What food?"

"For the wedding,"

He shrugged, "That's all up to Vaan, I don't care one way or the other."

"You should be more involved," she argued, "It would make Vaan feel better."

Balthier sighed, "I've got bigger things on my mind right now, Penelo."

"Stop being such a baby Balthier. You're lucky to be alive right now, and you got out with everything but your sight. Be grateful."

Balthier mumbled something under his breath.

"I know this has been hard on you," the girl continued, "But none of us has had it easy these past few months. We had to cart your unconscious ass around and try to keep you alive that whole time remember. Poor Vaan hardly slept or ate or anything he was so worried."

Balthier sighed, "I know, I know. He worries too much."

"He loves you."

"I know."

"So don't be such an ass."

Balthier chuckled, "Don't sugarcoat it for me sweetheart."

"Vaan is my best friend remember, he may let you off the hook for treating him less than perfect but I won't."

"I'll keep that in mind. Where are we?"

"I don't know," she said peering at the map through the darkness, "I can't see very well."

Balthier mumbled a Fira spell, and a warm glowing light sprang from his palm, "Better?"

She leaned closer toward him, "Much. I think we are right about…here," she said pointing at the map.

Balthier sighed, "Penelo…you can't just point I'm fucking blind."

"Oh…right….sorry. I think we are in this place called the Darkened Wharf. I haven't seen any nests of any kind so far, but I have no idea what we are looking for."

"I had hoped Fran would know where Blood Worms nest," sighed Balthier, "I don't suppose there are any clues on the map are there."

Penelo was silent for a moment as she searched the map, "No….doesn't look like it…Wait! Well, it may not be a clue, but the next cavern over is called the Canopy of Clay. Maybe there's a lot of clay there."

Balthier ran a ringed hand through his spikey hair, "Worth a try."

They walked along in silence for a long time, and finally Penelo announced that they had entered the cavern they had been looking for.

"Can you see anything?" he asked excitedly, ready to get this quest over with.

"No, cast a Fira spell again so I can see."

He mumbled the spell, but Penelo wished he hadn't when she saw what awaited them in the cave.

All Balthier heard was a growl and a scream before he felt something rip into his back, Penelo's screams were the last thing he heard before he lost consciousness.

_To Be Continued…_

**Thanx for being patient on this chapter, hope you enjoyed it. Please review if you'd like to see chapter 8! I promise it won't take me so long to post this time!**


	8. The Clay, continued

**Ok, I'm trying to update faster when I get a review so here's chapter 8. It's been really hectic here so bear with me. I hope you are enjoying the story, and are remembering that I'm not really going for these guys being perfectly in character. Still rated M, mostly because "And I'm Doing Just Fine" was rated M and you kinda have to have read it to be reading this one. Remember reviews make me update!**

**Chapter 8: The Clay, Cont.**

When Balthier awoke he quickly realized three things. One, his back was aflame with an intense pain unlike any he'd felt before. Two, he couldn't move. And three, he was upside down. There seemed to be no sound whatsoever, or none that he could hear anyway, to inform him of his surroundings, and since he still could not see he had no idea where he was. His arms were bound straight down to his sides with some type of strong, sticky substance that also seemed to be covering him up to his throat. He could wiggle around somewhat, but whatever it was that bound him was too strong to break.

Penelo could see that Balthier was awake, but the sticky substance that made up the cocoon see was suspended in (having been uninjured and awake she knew that she and Balthier had been spun up in cocoons by the blood worms and suspended from the ceiling of the cavern) had been spun up over her mouth to silence her screams. She tried to wiggle her way out, but the strange goo held her tightly in place, and she couldn't budge an inch. She tried to yell out Balthier's name, but all that came out was an unintelligible hum.

"Penelo?" the pirate asked at hearing the noise, "Is that you?"

The young girl rolled her eyes and hummed again, this time actually making it sound like "Uh-huh."

"Are you ok?"

Another hum.

"Where are we?"

Penelo started to hum a string of unintelligible hums when Balthier cut her short, "Wait, stop I…I can't understand a fucking thing you're saying. Just hum once for yes and twice for no, ok?"

Penelo hummed once.

"Ok, are we still in the same cavern we were in before?"

One hum.

Balthier nodded, "Are there any of…those things around?"

Two hums.

"Can you move?"

Two hums.

"Is there any chance, from what you saw of the map that any of the caverns the others were searching might lead to this one?"

One hum.

"Good, now let's just hope they don't get strung up like we are. We are strung up aren't we?"

One hum.

"I thought so…I take it those things might just be the blood worms we were looking for?"

One hum.

Balthier was silent a moment, "This shit we're covered in…any chance it kinda looks like clay?"

One hum.

"Well at least we found the last item on our list," he muttered as he winced in pain.

"Penelo?"

"Hmmm?"

"Can you tell if I'm bleeding rather badly?"

Penelo sighed inwardly as she observed the steady trickle of blood that oozed from the cocoon that Balthier was wrapped in and hummed once.

"I thought as much. I do believe I'm going to pass out again dear, hold on. I'm sure the others will find us soon," he said, his voice laced with dizziness, and with that he passed out.

Vaan and Fran were exhausted and annoyed. They had been searching their assigned caverns for some time now without a single hint as to where the blood worms nested. They were about to give up and retrace their steps when they ran smack dab into Basch and Ashe.

"I take it your luck has been no better than our own?" Basch asked, knowing the answer by the annoyed expression on Vaan's face.

"Nope, not a bit of that moon clay shit anywhere," the boy answered.

Basch frowned, "Any sign of Balthier and Penelo?"

Both Vaan and Fran shook their heads.

"Should we wait here or meet them halfway through the caverns they were supposed to check?" asked Ashe.

"I'm for waiting here," said Vaan, "There's no point in us walking all that way and then coming straight back."

"I suppose you're right," she said, and the four of them settled down to wait for the others.

Penelo could tell that Balthier had lost a lot of blood by the pale color of his face, and also by the little pool of red directly under him that had been growing steadily for the past hour or so. She had no idea how long they had been strung up like this, but it seemed like a long time, and her head was pounding from being upside down for so long. The pirate had lost consciousness, Penelo figured, about an hour before, and she was sure that if the others were going to come looking for them they would have by now. To add to her dismay, there were now four or five of those nasty blood worms below them, and occasionally one would slink over and drink from the pool of blood below Balthier. She knew that when he was completely drained that they would rip her open just as they had him, and slowly drink her life's essence.

"They should have been back by now;" warned Fran, "I fear trouble has befallen them."

Basch sighed, "Can't anything ever be simple?"

"No," the Viera replied flatly.

The four of them made their way through the twisted caverns that Balthier and Penelo had traveled only a few hours earlier, "Cavern of Clay?" asked Ashe, a little surprised none of them had noticed the name on the map before, "Did any of you see this? I bet that's where we were supposed to go all along!"

Basch cursed as he looked at the map, "Goddamnit! How the hell did I miss that? Well, come on, surely Balthier and Penelo noticed it on their map and had enough sense to go there. Which way?"

"According to the map the entrance is right around the next corner," said Ashe, "I'm sure they followed their map here and probably are on their way back, maybe they just took a different route."

"Followed their map huh?" asked Vaan, his tone drawing the attention of the others to where he stood a few feet ahead of them, "You mean this map?"

He held up a dirty and ripped map, one identical to the one Ashe now held in her hands. Basch's hand automatically went to his sword, "I'll go in first."

They had the element of surprise, so when Basch came in charging with Ashe casting a powerful Fira spell to light his way, they had the advantage. The first worm fell to Basch's sword before it had a chance to react, Fran's arrows took down another, and Vaan was quickly taking care of another.

"I could have sworn there was another of these fuckers…" muttered Basch, but before he could finish his thought the last worm was upon him. The worm was able to get in two good bites before Fran's arrows hit their mark, and brought it down.

"I don't see Balthier or Penelo," said Vaan, his tone worried. He looked around the cavern a moment before he felt something wet plop onto his shoulder. He looked up, and found himself to be standing directly under his bleeding lover.

"Balthier!" he yelled, "Basch! Help me get them down!"

Basch limped over to where the boy stood. It took several minutes to figure out a way to get them down, and eventually Fran just had to shot an arrow to break the strand of goo that held their cocoons to the ceiling. Balthier hit the ground silently, while Penelo's muffled curses were more than audible. Basch and Ashe made quick work of removing the poor girl from the pile of smelly clay.

"Balthier is hurt," she said once her mouth was uncovered, "One of the bit him. He's been bleeding for a long time."

Basch started to remove the thick layer of clay from the pirate, grimacing as bits of flesh peeled from the pirate back when he pulled off the clay. Between the five of them they were able to heal both Balthier and Basch.

"We'll have to carry him back to the village," said Fran handing a lump of the clay to Basch to put with the other items, "He has lost too much blood."

Basch nodded and shoved the clay into a small bag that contained both the moon flower and the water from the hidden pool.

"We must make hast," the Viera continued, "He has lost too much blood to live very long."

_To Be Continued…_

**Really sorry that took so long. Review if you'd like to see the next chapter! Hope you enjoyed!**


	9. The Ending

**So this is the last chapter, but I promise to start a whole new story soon. Hell, maybe I'll even make it a companion to this one, who knows. Anyhow, this chapter is still rated M, and I still don't own em', I just write about em'. Please review and let me know if you like it. **

**To See You Again**

**Chapter 9: The Ending**

Balthier was vaguely aware that he was being carried, but his mind couldn't wrap itself around the concept that he wasn't still suspended high in the air above the cavern of the blood worms. He was comfortable, although a little dizzy and lightheaded. He could smell the richness of the trees around him, and knew without a doubt that he was safe in the Eruyt Village. His back no longer hurt like it had, but the skin was tender as new flesh always was after being healed. He didn't try to open his eyes, he had gotten used to the fact that doing so was pointless, and he wondered if the others had remembered to get the moon clay from the cavern. But of course they must have, he knew they would not have left without it. He thought it strange how far he had come in the past year. Before he and Fran had run into Vaan in the Palace treasury he had been a loner, with only Fran to keep him company and watch his back. Now, he was a part of a tightly knit group of friends, friends who would risk their lives to help him get his sight back. One of which he was going to marry very very soon. He could remember the exact moment he'd fallen in love with the boy, and it still surprised him. He, Balthier the sky pirate, in love. Who would have ever thought? He was pulled from his musings by the touch of a hand to his eyes. The hands were that of a Viera, he could tell by the long slender fingers. Something was being smeared on his eyes, and he assumed that it was the mixture of the three ingredients that had taken them so long to gather. _Please work,_ he thought, once again afraid that he would never get to see the boy he loved again.

Vaan was having trouble staying quiet as the Viera had instructed. He wanted so desperately to hold Balthier's hand, to whisper in his ear that everything would be alright. He watched intently as a Viera he did not know smeared the thick salve over Balthier's eyes, and he shuffled his feet nervously.

"He'll be fine," Basch whispered in his ear after a moment, and Vaan supposed the older man could sense his worry. He nodded in reply, not daring to take his eyes off the man he loved.

When he felt the thick goo being wiped away from his eyes Balthier stirred. Even with his eyes closed he could see a great brightness where before only darkness had prevailed. _The sun is shining,_ he thought, _dear gods the sun is shining and I going to be able to see it._

"Do not open your eyes yet," the Viera warned, "They have grown used to the darkness. You will have to take it slow or you will damage them beyond repair."

He nodded and slowly cracked an eyelid. Even a tiny crack was painful, and he knew his face showed it when he felt a hand on his own. He knew the hand to be Vaan's, oh he knew every little contour of that boy by heart now, and he'd memorized every line, every little texture…just in case the quest for his sight was a failure. He forced himself to keep opening his eyes slowly, wincing through the pain, and his grip on Vaan's hand tightening. Finally they were open, and the pain was beyond intense.

"Keep them open," the Viera chided as he started to slam his lids shut again, "You must let them adjust."

He stared blankly up at the sky, trying to see anything beyond the bright white light that had set the nerves in his eyes aflame. Just as he thought their quest to be a failure…he made out the line of a tree. Slowly…oh so painfully slow…but sure enough, things began to come into focus…and then he saw the most beautiful blue eyes in the world.

"Vaan," he whispered as he touched the boy's cheek, "I never thought I'd get to look into those eyes again."

There was nothing Vaan could say as he grabbed his pirate and kissed him with everything he had.

It was an awkward group of people who were gathered in Ozmone Plain some seven or eight days later, but everyone was in high spirits. The odd collection of moogles, orphans, Viera, sky pirates, and nomads watched with happy smiles as the sky pirate led his orphan down a makeshift aisle of flowers. They stood now, facing each other, before Larsa…who being royalty could perform the ceremony legally.

Balthier stood, his hands in Vaan's, promising himself he wouldn't cry, and thanked every god whose name he could remember that he was able to actually see this day. "I thought a long time," he said, "about what kind of fancy words to say today to explain what you mean to me. Through everything that's happened recently I've realized that life without you, Vaan, just isn't worth having. In the end I finally figured out that I don't need any fancy words, they wouldn't do today justice anyway. All I can say is that…you make me happier than I ever thought I could be. You've given my life a hope and purpose that I thought I lost a long time ago. And if you'll let me…I'll spend the rest of my days doing everything I can to make you feel the same way."

"Balthier," said Vaan, wiping his cheek with the back of his hand, "I love you…so much. And I feel so lucky that I have you. You don't have to try, because I already feel the same way you do."

A sob from Penelo inturrepted them, and Larsa patted her on the shoulder before continuing on with the ceremony, "Do you Balthier, take Vaan to be your lawfully wedded husband, until death do you part?"

"I do."

"And do you Vaan, take Balthier to be your lawfully wedded husband, until death do you part?"

"I do."

"Then by the power invested in me, I know pronounce you husband and husband! And you can kiss him Balthier."

As he wrapped his arms around the boy he loved, and their lips met for the thousandth time, Balthier knew that no matter what happened in the future he and Vaan would be fine.

**The End.**

**Hope you enjoyed it! Review if you did! More stories to come!**


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